Ex-international midfield dazzler, Friday Ekpo has showered encomiums on Flying Eagles’ coach, Aliyu Zubairu for taking his side out for a couple of friendly matches against Ivory Coast.
Although the Nigerian youth national team lost their second match 2-0 on Friday, after beating the same opponent with the same result on Wednesday, Ekpo pointed out that what matters is not the result, but the players’ performances and how they blend to the coach’s tactics.
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Ekpo stated, “The coach knows why he’s playing the friendly games – to build the team strongly and to know the kind of tactics he will apply with the players. He should look out for what he wants, not just playing to win. He needs to check the technical aspect of a game for him to assemble the right players.”
Ekpo, who played professional football in Gabon as well as Greece, and was part of Nigeria’s bronze winning squad at the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal, went on to give Coach Zubairu useful tips on how to build a crack squad for the upcoming continental youth championship in Cote d’Ivoire.
“He has to know the players to change, who to bring in, and who not to bring in. He has to make sure that everything he does goes well. He has to see what they do and how they do it, in order to move ahead.
“It’s not a matter of do or die to win the two games, but an opportunity to see the kind of players that he will use for the tournament. He will build the kind of system they will play, and they know how to work towards it,” Ekpo concluded.
He expressed optimism that Zubairu’s wards would be able to meet up to the expectations of all Nigerians when they line out against Egypt, Morocco and South Africa in Group B of the upcoming Africa U20 Cup of Nations, which will hold from April 26th to May 18th in Cote d’Ivoire.
